Should A Christian Man Marry A Divorced Woman?

RDKirk

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Your post was unrelated to marriage:

"Just a practical question.
If you borrow a million dollars and you do not want to pay it back.
If you repent of your past life and become a new person in Jesus, does God want you to forget your past promises and debts or does He want you to live in a different way and care about what is right and wrong? For example to pay your debts even if it means you must live a poor life till your death?"

Both, actually. Being in debt is the same thing today as it was 2,000 years ago: Slavery. You owe some or all of your labor to another person. Nothing in the New Testament automatically releases anyone from slavery in the secular world upon accepting Christ.

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. -- Matthew 5

To continue in the righteousness given us in salvation by the Lord, our horizontal relationships with other people, including pagans, must be as straight as our vertical relationship with the Lord. The Lord will not accept our offerings to Him given with hands dirtied by our affairs with other people.

How we do that is going to vary. Don't make promises or agreements we don't intend to keep, and keep them if we make them. Attempt honest reconciliation to the greatest extent possible, doing so with a clean heart. Don't try to beat the system, but accept the consequences if necessary. Pray to soften the heart of a froward master (that is, the bank). Pray for legal relief if it's possible.

Of course, this would be much easier if we could all be members of congregations that behaved according to the model we see in Acts and the epistles.

To bring this back to divorce, if a congregation insists that a young mother who has been abandoned by her husband should not remarry, then that congregation should be ready to meet the needs of that young mother, as the 1st century congregations would have done (God is consistent over the centuries in His demand that fatherless children be cared for by His people).

If the congregation lays legalistic burdens on their people and does not lift a finger to help them with those burdens, Christ has already condemned those religious panderers of law.

Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them." -- Luke 11
 
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Rachel Rachel

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But related to your post that when you repent, you can start like if past did not happen.
Yes.
If your marriage and divorce took place before you were saved.
 
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Neostarwcc

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.

No.
 
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TheGuide

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...
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.

Most divorced women, and the Christian men who marry them, have nothing to be concerned about because she was likely divorced because her ex was cheating, or he left her for another woman. Hence the Sexual Immorality clause. (see my. "The Bible's Divorce and Re-marry Clause)
 
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Sketcher

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.
Well, as long as her ex is still alive he would be. That's not the foundation I would want to built my household upon.
 
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The Liturgist

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.

A Christian man can marry a divorced woman; I almost did, but he should be aware it may disqualify him from being ordained in the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches (and if he divorces his wife, he will be disqualified almost certainly).
 
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solid_core

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...
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.

Most divorced women, and the Christian men who marry them, have nothing to be concerned about because she was likely divorced because her ex was cheating, or he left her for another woman. Hence the Sexual Immorality clause. (see my. "The Bible's Divorce and Re-marry Clause)
The clause is there only for divorce. Not for remarriage.

"whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." (no exceptions)
 
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JacksBratt

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.
Well, I did.... She was married and a non believer..

She got divorced.. Met me after and came to the Lord.. through our relationship, my family and the church..

Should she then be held to the sins of her past? If Christ forgives all sins.. should she have to hang on to that one..

In my opinion.. she is a new creature through Christ.. The old.. died as did her past mistakes and sins..

So.. I would say.. Yes.. you can marry a divorced woman...
 
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JacksBratt

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.
Only if they are a man. lol

What about.."should a Christian marry a divorced man?"

I think that in today's society.. there are so many people who are divorced.. it would be terrible if they were to just live out their lives due to a mistake in the past.

Yes.. it is a sin to divorce and marriage is to death.. but many Christians have been divorced. I would say "get married".
 
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cappycappy

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Well even if it's a sin, aren't you forgiven?

I have found relationships with divorced people to be problematic, especially with child custody issues, child support, spousal support, bitterness, and a host of other things I turned my back on. Found a mate who didn't have all those issues and I am happy.
 
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cappycappy

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Only if they are a man. lol

What about.."should a Christian marry a divorced man?"

I think that in today's society.. there are so many people who are divorced.. it would be terrible if they were to just live out their lives due to a mistake in the past.
".

I agree.

I know a woman who never married, because the one man who she really loved, who proposed to her, did not have a scriptural divorce. She decided not to marry him although it was a painful decision. Consequently, she never married anyone & never had kids even though she wanted to. I think her life turned out very sad.

I think one reason churches shrink is due to discouraging people from getting married.
 
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Andrewn

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I know a woman who never married, because the one man who she really loved, who proposed to her, did not have a scriptural divorce. She decided not to marry him although it was a painful decision. Consequently, she never married anyone & never had kids even though she wanted to. I think her life turned out very sad.
Mat 23:4 For they tie together heavy packs that are impossible to carry. They put them on the shoulders of others, but are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.
 
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zoidar

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.

Should or could? Is it a ticket downwards to do so? Life is not simple. I think each case is different, and has to be answered individually.
 
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Tony B

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Is this scripture below saying a Christian man should only marry a divorced woman if her divorce was because of sexual immorality or a Christian man should never marry a divorced woman full stop?
If the man does marry a divorced women would that mean his sins are going to be continuous in adultery as long as he is in that relationship, just as if someone carried on with fornication or any other sin after coming to and accepting Christ. Which would then make his sinning wilful after being saved.

31"Furthermore it has been said,
"Whoever divorces his wife, let him give
her a certificate of divorce.'
32But I say to you that whoever divorces
his wife for any reason except sexual
immorality causes her to commit
adultery; and whoever marries a woman
who is divorced commits adultery.

Yes, that is what those scriptures/The Lord directs.

However, I believe He would also say, if He were here now, that every case has to be looked at on its own merits/facts.

If the man or lady was divorced because of their adultery or acutely abusive and any other immoral behaviour, and that occurred after they became a Christian/was born again, then he/she will have to remain single for the rest of their life or be reunited with their ex spouse assuming that option is available and passes godly scrutiny.

If however he/she committed the act(s) and then subsequently become a Christian/was born again, then he/she is forgiven and washed clean of those past transgressions, and is therefore eligible for Christian marriage. Having said that though, if there are any relationship complications or matters occurring from their past that would put and unhealthy burden on a new marriage and affect its godliness, then these would need to be resolved first.
 
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